Winter clothes in Nepal have become very expensive. Reasons include a strong dollar, high transportation costs and low supply from China. Down jackets, long coats and fleece jackets have become pricier.Clothing that comes by air is costlier than that that comes overland.

Even Nepal-made brands are expensive. Imports have declined by nearly 40 percent, mainly due to the appreciation of the dollar that has made goods very expensive.The rule requiring importers to keep 100 percent margin amount to open a letter of credit, a measure intended to control imports, has also increased prices of goods.The cost of importing goods has increased by 15 percent from last year. Imports of apparels and clothing accessories into Nepal have fallen by 27 percent in the first three months of the current fiscal year.

Raw materials have to be imported from China but as these are not arriving regularly, prices of winter clothes have gone up in the domestic market.Prices of winter clothes in the domestic market have increased by Rs200 to Rs600 and these include fleece jackets, windcheaters, hoodies and joggers. Sales have also decreased due to inflation.Transport inflation jumped by 23 percent in the first two months of the current fiscal year.